Magnetocaloric properties of nanocrystalline La$_{0.125}$Ca$_{0.875}$MnO$_{3}$

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetocaloric properties of nanocrystalline La$_{0.125}$Ca$_{0.875}$MnO$_{3}$, revealing the persistence of antiferromagnetic transition signatures and inverse magnetocaloric effects, with size-dependent ferromagnetic phase stabilization.

Contribution

It demonstrates the presence of antiferromagnetic transition signatures in nanocrystalline manganites, contrasting previous findings, and explores size-dependent magnetic phase behavior.

Findings

Antiferromagnetic transition signatures observed in nanocrystalline La$_{0.125}$Ca$_{0.875}$MnO$_{3}$.

Inverse magnetocaloric effect present in both polycrystalline and nanocrystalline forms.

Size-dependent stabilization of ferromagnetic phase at low temperatures.

Abstract

Some recent experimental studies show the invisibility of antiferromagnetic transition in the cases of manganites when their particle size is reduced to nanometer scale. In complete contrast to these cases, we have observed the signature of antiferromagnetic transition in the magnetocaloric properties of nanocrystalline La$_{0.125}$Ca$_{0.875}$MnO$_{3}$ of average particle size 70 and 60 nm similar to its polycrystalline bulk form. The system exhibit inverse magnetocaloric effect in its polycrystalline and nanocrystalline form. An extra ferromagnetic phase is stabilized at low temperature for the sample with particle size $\sim 60$ nm.